"Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene," With these first lines, Shakespeare’s timeless play of young love and untimely death begins; as in life, it is sometimes comic, sometimes tragic, always poignantly beautiful. While our emotions are moved by the imagery and rhythms of Shakespeare’s verse, our minds are delighted by the sharpness of his insights into life, death, and the human condition. Written in the mid-1590s, the play is regarded as one of the Bard’s earliest masterpieces. To make Romeo and Juliet more accessible for the modern reader, our Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Edition includes a glossary of the more difficult words, as well as convenient sidebar notes to enlighten the reader on aspects that may be confusing or overlooked. In doing this, it is our intention that the reader may more fully enjoy the beauty of the verse, the wisdom of the insights, and the impact of the drama.